Producers
Our Producers
Lucia's Imports is committed to working under Fair Trade guidelines and developing long term partnerships with Guatemalan families, artisans groups and cooperatives to produce and export high quality designed accessories and handicrafts. Our trading partnerships ensure our artisans earn a living wage in the local context, work under safe and healthy working conditions, are provided equal opportunities and engage in environmentally sustainable practices.
Jewelry
Today, many Mayan women still weave and wear their traditional costumes that originated during the Spanish conquest. Due to economic pressures, most Mayan women in Guatemala struggle to continue to use their traditional weaving skills. Lucia's Imports works with the Mayan women around the shores of Lake Atitlan to transform their beautiful weaving tradition into hand beaded jewelry. Acquiring new skills and a market for their jewelry creates hope and prosperity for many artisans who can now work in their homes. Their designs are rich in beauty, tradition and color. Treasure your beads as we treasure and respect the Mayan culture of Guatemala
Eco-Friendly Purses and accessories
Weaving has long been a tradition among the Mayan women of Guatemala. Their daily attire consists of wearing Cortes (hand-woven skirts) and Huipiles (wee-peels, hand-embroidered poncho like blouses).Their attire originated during the Spanish conquest in order to identify the inhabitants of different villages. Due to economic pressures, most Mayan women struggle to continue to practice their traditional weaving skills. Farming is the usual source of income for Guatemalans living in the highlands. In order to offer these families a better source of income, Lucia’s Import’s ;works with Miguel Perez and his family to design a line of purses, accessories and coin bags. In our effort to preserve the ancient tradition of weaving our designs incorporate not only new textiles, but vintage textiles recycled from the traditional Guatemalan attire. ;The vintage textiles are re-sold in local markets. The Perez family now employs many villagers offering them a fair wage, lifestyle and community.
Scarves
Lucia’s Import’s lightweight cotton scarves and shawls are hand-made on foot looms by women living in the highlands of Totonicapan, Guatemala. Weaving is a tradition that needs to be preserved in Guatemala. In order to preserve this tradition, Lucia’s Imports has worked many years with Zoila Xon and her small weaving group of about 20 women. From the sale of their scarves, they have been able to increase their families’ incomes and build a better community
Ceramicas Polopo
Ceramica Polopo is a family run business located on the shores of Lake Atitlan in San Antonio, Polopo, Solola, Guatemala. The Perez family makes unique animals, coffee cups, vases and other ceramic items. They are high fired for durability and decorated with lead free glazes. The Perez family learned the pottery skills from a North American, Ken Edwards, who came to Guatemala looking for a source of clay. Mr. Edwards was a well known potter in Mexico. San Antonio Polopo was where he settled. He created the animals and other pieces and taught the Perez family how to make and decorate them. As the family learned the new skill they began to develop their own decorating styles.
Copavic
The artisans of COPAVIC, Quetzaltenango Guatemala, work to protect the environment by transforming recycled glass into useful products. The cooperative, which was founded in 1976, produces a wide variety of pitchers, glasses, stemmed glasses, dishes, statuettes, ash trays, candle holders, and vases.
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